The Kreider, Zibanejad, Fast line has been working well for the Rangers

7:36PM

Share:

Mar 17, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; New York Rangers right wing Jesper Fast (17) is congratulated by defenseman Marc Staal (18) and left wing Chris Kreider (20) and center Mika Zibanejad (93) after scoring during the second period against the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports (Jeff Curry)

In the past two games, the line of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast has tallied six goals and six assists and that trio has scored six of he seven Ranger goals in that time. (NYR Game Notes)

Alain Vigneault said that he felt Kreider and Zibanejad were playing some of their best hockey of the year right now and that since he put Fast on that line, the trio has been the Rangers best at 5 on 5.

He noted that those three players have gone up against some of the other team's top players and done a "real good job for us."

Chris Kreider has been on a hot streak lately

Mar 18 | 8:36PM

Share:

Mar 14, 2018; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) reacts with New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) and New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei (76) after scoring the game winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the overtime period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Chris Kreider has six points in the past two games and 10 points in the Rangers last nine games.

7 of Kreider's 10 points in the last nine games have been primary points. (NYR Game Notes)

Prior to the game, Alain Vigneault said that Kreider has always been a "real pro" and is getting a bigger leadership role right now.

What Alain Vigneault said after the loss in St. Louis

Mar 18 | 9:16AM

Share:

Apr 16, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault gestures behind the bench as he talks to referee Steve Kozari (40) against the Pittsburgh Penguins in game two of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Rangers won 4-2 to even the series. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports (Charles LeClaire)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on MSG following the OT loss to St. Louis and said:

On the game, "we followed the master plan in the first period, we tired them out in our own end. Our D couldn't make a pass and our forwards couldn't get through the neutral zone but after that I liked our game. We played well in the second period, didn't give them much and we got some pretty good looks to take a 3-2 lead. In the third our PK was perfect until that shot, D should have blocked that shot in front, that was part of his responsibility and in OT, unfortunately, one of our defense got beat 1 on 1 and they had a great look. For whatever reason we had a real tough time in the first but after that there were a lot of good things in our game."

Read More

Share:

Schenn scores game-winner to lead Blues past Rangers in OT

Mar 17 | 10:53PM

Share:

Mar 17, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Chris Thorburn (22) and New York Rangers defenseman John Gilmour (58) battle for the puck during the second period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports (Jeff Curry)

Brayden Schenn scored the game-winning goal in overtime to help the Blues secure a 4-3 win over the Rangers on Saturday night at Scottrade Center. >> Box score

First period:

15:49 STL Alex Pietrangelo; Assists: Tage Thompson, Vladimir Sobotka

Second Period

Read More

Share:

Vigneault on Kreider, Gilmour, Pionk and more

Mar 17 | 7:13PM

Share:

Apr 14, 2017; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault reacts as Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec (14) scored a goal during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports (Jean-Yves Ahern)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Saturday night prior to the game against St. Louis (NYR):

Any lineup changes, "no. Same lineup."

On Kreider since returning, "for me, Kreids has always been a real pro. He has to be one of the best athletes I have ever coached as far as his physical preparation, he works so hard, sometimes you wonder if he is doing a little too much off the ice and on the ice, but he is getting a bigger leadership role with our team. He is one of the veteran players, he gets it. He knows that he has to do a little bit more. What he has to do is keep being himself, that hard work is a great example on the ice and off the ice. The way he played last game, that was a real powerful game and we are hoping he will bring a little bit more consistency and that is one of the areas he has been working on and hopefully he can do that for us."

Neal Pionk had three assists in Wednesday's win over Pittsburgh and led all skaters with 26:03 in the game.

Pionk, 22, has five assists in the past three games and eight points in the last eight games.

Since Pionk was called up, Alain Vigneault has said:

2/14: He's a good skating defenseman, is willing to take a hit to make a play, has good poise with the puck, improved skating since training camp and a "smart young man" with a good understanding of the game.

2/16: Pionk, and John Gilmour, have made contributions in a "very positive way" and that the challenge for them will be being able to sustain and maintain their level of play on a consistent basis.

3/12: "I've really liked his game, both with the puck and without it." Pionk is a "smart player, has a good "gap and "competes."

3/14: Marc Staal was asked by Pierre McGuire about Pionk and said,"he was unbelievable tonight, I thought he played outstanding. He's been solid and getting better and better." (NBCSN)

3/16/18 | Vigneault said on Friday, "I think that with Neal, he is a bright young man. He understands the game and I think he understands the percentages in the game. He is putting himself in a good spot, I really like his compete level, he competes hard. He has a good skill set and he can make that pass and there is no doubt that in college and prior to that he was considered an offensive defenseman and good on the rush, good on the PP. There is some upside there with him. We need to continue to work at his game and improve it."

Alain Vigneault met with the media on Friday after practice and said (NYR):

On Georgiev, "there is no doubt that when you analyze the game, a big part of those wins has been our goaltending. Those guys have played extremely well. I'm watching all the games on right now and 90% of the teams that are winning are getting real good goaltending like we have been. There have been certain areas of our game that we have been working on and are getting better. I really like that in 2 of our last 3 games we are down going into the third and find a way to come back, might have lost the one in Florida in OT, but came back against Pitt and played a real strong third and win it in OT."

On Pionk, "I think that with Neal, he is a bright young man. He understands the game and I think he understands the percentages in the game. He is putting himself in a good spot, I really like his compete level, he competes hard. He has a good skill set and he can make that pass and there is no doubt that in college and prior to that he was considered an offensive defenseman and good on the rush, good on the PP. There is some upside there with him. We need to continue to work at his game and improve it."

Henrik Lundqvist said earlier this week that the rest of this season is about him wanting to feel good about his game and where the Rangers are headed. (NY Post)

He said that he is still taking things day by day and that he will have time to reflect after the season ends. (NY Post)

On how the season has gone, Lundqvist said that when you know you are going to get a lot of chances against you "you wind up trying to do too much even though you have it in your mind not to." (NY Post)

With just over 10 seconds remaining in the third period, Alexandar Georgiev was called for delay of game for knocking the net off it's moorings.

Rule 63.5 of the NHL Rule Book states that, "If the goal post is deliberately displaced by a goalkeeper or player during the course of a "breakaway," a penalty shot will be awarded to the non-offending team, which shot shall be taken by the player last in possession of the puck."

Evgeni Malkin was awarded the penalty shot and was stopped by Georgiev.

What Alain Vigneault said after the OT win over the Pens

Mar 15 | 7:12AM

Share:

Alain Vigneault met with the media following the Rangers OT win over Pitt and said (NYR, NYR Game Notes):

On the eventful third period…"There was certainly a lot going on in that last period. Momentum is a funny thing sometimes. We kill off the penalty at the beginning of the third, we score on our power play and they start playing on their heels a little bit. We get a little bit of momentum, get some good looks and we're able to tie it up right after they make it 3-2. Get a power play and a great play by Kreids to Mika (Zibanejad) for a tap-in. Then Mika was able to score in overtime. I won't say anything about that ten seconds left call, I'll leave that alone and take the two points and go from there. "

On Alexandar Georgiev…"There's no doubt that he kept us in it early in the game. They had some real good looks. He was strong. I'm sure he would like to have that third goal back that he gave up, but he made the penalty shot save there on one of the best, if not the best, player in the league at this time. He's doing what you want a goaltender to do, give yourself a chance to win and that's what he's doing for us."

Mika Zibanejad scored his 100th career goal and second of the game to win Wednesady's game for the Rangers in OT.

From the Rangers Game Notes on Zibanejad, "tallied two goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime, led all skaters (and established a single-game career-high) with nine shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating. Zibanejad's goal in overtime was the 100th goal of his NHL career. In addition, he recorded his 22nd goal of the 2017-18 season in tonight's contest, and his 22 goals are a new career-high (his previous career-high was 21 in 2015-16). He has also established career-highs in power play goals (11) and power play points (18) in 2017-18, and he leads the team in both categories this season. He has tallied five points (two goals, three assists) in the last two games, and he has also recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) and a plus-seven rating over the last seven games. Zibanejad's nine shots on goal are the most a Ranger has registered in one game this season."

Zibanejad spoke after the game and said (NYR Game Notes):

On tonight's game…"It was a fun game. A lot of chances, good battle out there. It's always nice when you get away with a win from a game like this."

On whether this was one of the wilder games he has been a part of, with the penalty shot and ending…"I was a little shocked. I didn't know about that rule, but that sequence right there, Georgiev made a great save and got us a chance in overtime. It was good to see the puck go in and to get those two points."

On his game-winning goal…"I kind of came late into the zone. Kreids (Kreider) rolled up and I think my guy went to him and he made a great pass. I didn't really know what to do. I wanted to pass, but I ran out of room, just tried to get it on net and it somehow trickled in."

Zibanejad's two goals rally Rangers past Penguins in OT, 4-3

Mar 14 | 10:50PM

Mar 14, 2018; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) reacts with New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei (76) after scoring the game winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the overtime period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Mika Zibanejad scored the tying and game-winning goals as the Rangers rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to edge the Penguins, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. >> Box score

Looking at different possibilities for the Rangers this summer

Mar 14 | 9:03PM

Share:

On NBCSN, Bob McKenzie said the following about the Rangers potential offseason plans:

On Alain Vigneault, "lots of speculation on that, some people think that for sure he will be gone and with a rebuild they will need a different voice, not a guy in his sixth-year with the organization. There are others that say he has two-years left, believed to be $4 million per, not an easy guy to get rid of if they so choose to do that. I don't think the Rangers have crossed that bridge yet, because they don't have to, but as soon as the season is over, the first thing that will happen is that they will sit down with Vigneault, get his feelings on how he feels about being in a rebuild, not sure he signed up for that necessarily but with two-years left at $4 million he isn't about to walk out the door and say he isn't interested. They have to decide if he is the right guy and do they need someone different to sheppard them through this evolutionary stage of the process."

On Henrik Lundqvist, "he is all in, he wants to be a Ranger. Stories in the NY Post this week reinforced, he doesn't want to go anywhere, understands what is happening. That is the road he is going down."

Read More

Share:

Tonight's game: Rangers vs Penguins, 8 p.m.

Mar 14 | 6:10PM

Share:

Mar 12, 2018; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Vladislav Namestnikov (90) reacts after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

NEW YORK -- A pair of teams with decidedly different goals down the stretch will face off Wednesday night, when the New York Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.

Both teams head into Wednesday fresh off a win. The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak Monday night by beating the visiting Carolina Hurricanes, 6-3. The host Penguins won for the fourth time in five games Sunday, when they defeated the Dallas Stars, 3-1.

The Penguins (40-26-4) will enter Wednesday one point behind the first-place Washington Capitals in Metropolitan Division and three points ahead of the third-place Philadelphia Flyers. >> Read more

What Alain Vigneault said before tonight's game against Pitt

Mar 14 | 1:01PM

Alain Vigneault met with the media following today's morning skate and said (NYR):

On Ryan Sproul, "we had him once before, he played well for us. continue down our depth chart and Ryan is going to get a chance tonight and I am sure he will play real well. He will play with Brady."

On DeAngelo's injury, "it was one of those almost high ankle sprains that takes 3-4 weeks depending on how quickly he can rehab. It will be closer to four I am thinking than anything else."

On Derrick Brassard, "he is a good player. For us, it seemed like the bigger the game the better he played. He played some important minutes. He was one of our top-two centers. In Pitt, it shows you the strength of that team, he is their third-line center. He is a real good player and it seems like when the playoffs come around he plays his best hockey of the year and that is what he did for us."

More on Brassard, 'it's tough to say. I've only watched a couple of shifts here and there in breaking down their system. He will get used to his new environment, he is a good young man that works extremely hard. He is a hockey fanatic, he knows everything that is going on everywhere an I am sure he will play real well for them."

On the end of the season, "for games, it doesn't change. we are in this to win. Right now we have 13 forwards and six healthy D. You try to put a plan together that gives you a chance to win. Tonight we have a real tough opponent. We will have to be real good at managing the puck and have good structure in all three-zones. That is what we are going to do. We are trying to get ready to play one of the best teams in the league."

When asked about this being a setback for DeAngelo, Vigneault said "it's not going to help. It's unfortunate but injuries are part of the game and players get them and they need to work real hard with the right mindset to get themselves back in the groove here.

On how DeAngelo's been playing, Alain Vigneault said "he has been coming along. You see the skill level with the puck. I think for Tony, like a lot of young players, it's understanding the game, what plays to make that are right for the situation. Just a matter of improving his overall knowledge of the game with and without the puck, by doing that, obviously playing more, he will get better. There is definitely a skill set but like any young player it's about putting it together. You gotta understand the game and have the right attitude and work ethic, Tony is a young player going through the different stages. Some get it together quicker than others but in Tony's case, I think he was on the right track."

Vigneault on Shattenkirk, DeAngelo's season and more

Mar 13 | 5:40PM

Share:

Jan 25, 2018; San Jose, CA, USA; New York Rangers had coach Alain Vigneault (right) watches the game against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports (John Hefti)

Vigneault on Shattenkirk, DeAngelo's season and more

Alain Vigneault met with the media earlier today after practice and said (NYR):

Update on Shattenkirk, "he had, I don't know if we want to say, a minor setback, he skated hard and felt a little discomfort. The docs felt that they would hold him back for a couple of days and hopefully in a short amount of time he will be back skating and getting into the groove here."

On DeAngelo, "he had his MRI done at 11:30 but I haven't heard back yet. I should found out later today. We will call up Sproul and he should be in the lineup for tomorrow."

On DeAngelo's game, "he has been coming along. You see the skill level with the puck. I think for Tony, like a lot of young players, it's understanding the game, what plays to make that are right for the situation. Just a matter of improving his overall knowledge of the game with and without the puck, by doing that, obviously playing more, he will get better. There is definitely a skill set but like any young player it's about putting it together. You gotta understand the game and have the right attitude and work ethic, Tony is a young player going through the different stages. Some get it together quicker than others but in Tony's case, I think he was on the right track. Not quite sure how serious the injury is, but after seeing it last night it doesn't look very good. We will find out later on today.'

The Rangers have called up Ryan Sproul from Hartford after the injury to Tony Deangelo last night.

From the Rangers release:

The 6-4, 205-pounder has skated in four games with the Rangers this season, registering two assists.

Sproul made his debut with the Blueshirts on Feb. 13 at Minnesota, and he recorded his first assist/point as a Ranger on Feb. 17 at Ottawa.

He has skated in 32 career NHL games over parts of three seasons with the Rangers and Detroit, registering one goal and eight assists for nine points.

Sproul, 25, has skated in 49 AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins and Wolf Pack this season, registering 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points, along with 30 penalty minutes.

He is tied for sixth among AHL defensemen in goals and is tied for 12th among AHL defensemen in points this season. Sproul has recorded a point in each of his last four games with the Wolf Pack (one goal, three assists), including an assist in each of his last three games with Hartford.

In addition, he has registered a point in nine of his last 11 AHL games, and he has tallied 12 points (four goals, eight assists) over the span.

6:07PM: Vigneault spoke about Georgiev after practice on Tuesday and said, "he has played well, like I mentioned before the game, he is a battler. I like his positioning in goal and rebound control, he will play tomorrow. He has won his last two games but at the end of the day, for us right now, it's about if we have a potential backup for Hank. Young player, we will see what he can do against a real good team tomorrow."

Will he play more the rest of the year, "there is no doubt that moving forward he will get some games. He has won his last two starts and we need to find out about this young goaltender who seems to have some good upside. We will give him a chance tomorrow against the Stanley Cup Champs. He seems mentally ready for it. We will put him in and see what he can do."

1:09PM: Alain Vigneault announced that Alexandar Georgiev will start tomorrow against the Penguins. (NYR)

Mats Zuccarello has started to score goals again

Mar 13 | 12:53PM

Share:

Mar 12, 2018; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes with teammates during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Mats Zuccarello scored his 100th career goal last night in the Rangers win over Carolina.

Zuccarello has four goals in the past three games after only scoring 5 goals in his prior 38 games.

He joked that if he were more of a goal scorer he would have hit his 100th career goal earlier, but noted that it was a "big" thing for him. (Nettavisen)

Vigneault's comments after the win over Carolina

Mar 13 | 7:21AM

Share:

Alain Vigneault met with the media on MSG following the win over Carolina and said:

On the game, "tonight, you had what you get a lot in this league, the difference was goaltending. Their goalie had a tough night and our young goalie had a good night. He made some timely saves and we got a couple of goals that I am sure their guy would like to have back. I knew this would be a challenging game for us, we played a lot of road games, our travel has been a bit tougher than it's been so I knew our energy level would be challenging tonight. Guys fought through and at the end of the day we found a way to win."

On DeAngelo, "he hurt his ankle, I'm gonna know more tomorrow. He will have an MRI done tomorrow and we will find out about his injury."

On Georgiev, "he's played well for us, he has done what you want your goalie to do, give yourself a chance to win, give your team a chance to win, that is what Alex is doing and what we need from our goaltending because on a lot of nights that is the difference in this league."

Jimmy Vesey met with the media following his first career Hat Trick (NYR Game Notes):

On his first career hat trick…"It's something you definitely want to accomplish. I was just saying I remember it took me all four years in college to get one. It's nice to have one. Everyone dreams when they are a kid of scoring the big goal or scoring a hat trick. I think it's something I will always remember, so it's a great feeling."

On the play on his first goal…"He [Pavel Buchnevich] didn't tell me anything. So once I saw him go forward, their D's stick kind of stopped the puck a little bit and it was a quick 2-on-1. I just tried to get open and he made a great play."

On whether he saw an opening for the shot on his second goal…"That's where I was going. I had a shot from a similar angle in the first period and I kind of misfired and put it lower than I wanted. I was definitely trying to go high blocker and just fortunately it went in."

On still trying to win games during this stretch of the season…"I think just in general the mood is always better when you win. Everyone is in higher spirits. No one is going to take it easy on us just because we have a young lineup or anything like that. We can't feel bad for ourselves. We have to go out and play with passion and pride every night. I think we've done a good job of that lately."

Vigneault on Pionk, Skjei and more before the Carolina game

Mar 12 | 4:11PM

Share:

(Brad Penner)

Alain Vigneault met with the media prior to the game against Carolina and said (NYR):

Has Spooner surprised you, "yes and no. I always knew from watching him in Boston that there was a real high skill level there. One of the things he has done real well, his capability of making those plays in those areas with his quickness and skill level. He has gotten quite a few points since he has been with us. He has played well and hopefully it continues."

On David Desharnais, "game time decision. He felt alright this morning. We will see how he does this afternoon. Hasn't passed the kidney stone yet so we will where that is."

Can he play with the kidney stone, "I'm sure he can, tough French man."

Alain Vigneault said that Alexandar Georviev will start for the Rangers tonight in their game against Carolina. (NYR)

All Rangers will take part in warmups and final decisions on who is playing will be made after. (NYR)

Georgiev is 1-2 this season in four appearances and has a GAA of 2.65 and a save percentage of . 930.

Read More

Share:

Alain Vigneault is taking things one day at a time right now

Mar 12 | 9:50AM

Share:

(Adam Hunger)

Alain Vigneault told the Journal de Montreal that he is taking things one day at a time and has not spoken with management about his future.

He said that his job is to improve the players on the Rangers and that when management announced that they were going to sell, Vigneault said that the focus was still on trying to win every game. (Journal de Montreal)

Vigneault also cited, again, the need to be "persistent and positive" like the fans in Tampa Bay were last week. (Journal de Montreal)

Read More

Share:

Kevin Hayes has been scoring a lot lately

Mar 11 | 5:40PM

Share:

Mar 8, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes (13) is congratulated as he scores a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports (Kim Klement)

Kevin Hayes scored his 20th goal of the season on Saturday in Florida and has five goals and two assists in the past seven games.

From the Rangers Game Notes, Hayes:

"has notched a point in 11 of the last 15 games, and he has recorded 15 points (nine goals, six assists) over the span."

"Hayes has also registered 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 20 games since returning to the Rangers' lineup on Jan. 25, and he leads the Blueshirts in goals and points over the span."

Hayes said recently that he loves being a Ranger and wants to spend his whole career here. (NY Post)

What Alain Vigneault said after the loss to Florida

Mar 11 | 9:20AM

Mar 18, 2017; Saint Paul, MN, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Rangers defeated the Wild 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports (Brace Hemmelgarn)

Alain Vigneault met with the media on MSG following the loss to Florida and said:

On the game, "we had a real good start again tonight, our last six games, five of them we have had good starts, even though we gave up that last goal against Winnipeg. We came out, played well, played the right way. We didn't give them a lot of looks in the first, two of their looks were on offsides that should have been called. I thought that for the most part the guys played hard, made good plays with the puck, came back three times in this game. Unfortunately we weren't able to get it done in the shootout."

"On our team right now we have some veterans, some first, second, third-year pros trying to put a real foot in the NHL door. Some guys are at their first strides but they are learning every time they are out there and some other guys are trying to prove they are good NHL players with big roles. Everyone has something to prove and we are trying to prove that we can win and that is what we did tonight. We went out to win, unfortunately we didn't get it done."

On Kreider not playing late in the second, "not to my recollection, I don't think he missed a shift with his line. Not to my recollection, I'm pretty sure on that."

5:16PM: Alain Vigneault met with the media prior to the game in Florida and said (NYR):

"Kreids is good to go. He is fine and the only issue we have is that Davey came up with some kidney stone issues this morning. He will be out tonight."

"We will put Kreids with Mika but move Quickie up there on the right side. Made a few little changes, that will be Mika's line, Peter will be with Cody and Paul, Spooner with Hayes and Zucc, the two Russians together."

On Buchnevich, "in the last two games, 5 on 5, Buchie didn't do much, didn't generate as much as he can. He had some opportunities to make some plays with the puck but wasn't able to make those. He is a talented young man and trying to put his game together. It's the NHL, the best league, every player goes through some up and downs and we think that Buch has a high skill level and we are working with him to put it all together."

On tonight's game, "I expect us to work hard, compete on the ice. We are playing against the best team since the All-Star break, highly skilled, offensive team that is getting some real solid goaltending. We need a good start. On that road trip we had real good starts, if we get a good start it permits us to have a little bit of confidence and momentum and good energy. Hopefully tonight we have a better start than we did in Tampa. I think that in Tampa our start was due to them being as good as they were and we had a hard time following that pace. A couple of better puck decisions and hoping we will be good to follow the pace that Florida can bring."

On Zuccarello, "he's been working hard all year long but for whatever reason, with the puck he has had a hard time making the plays that we normally see. Very sensitive young man and I think that everything happening around our group has had some effect on him. At the end of the day he has to play well for our team to have success. He plays in all situations and we need him to make plays with the puck and beat opponents 1 on 1 like we have seen him do in the past. There are 14 games left and he can start by being real good tonight."

The host Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, who meet on Saturday night at the BB&T Center, have switched places.

Florida (33-25-7), which has made the playoffs just five times in its 25-year history, is the hottest team in the NHL since Jan. 30, going 14-3-1 during that span. The Panthers, who are three points out of the second wild card, have won seven straight home games and will try to break the franchise record in that category when New York visits on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Rangers, after making the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons, appear destined to miss out at 30-32-6. They have lost nine of their past 12 games and raised the white flag of surrender last month when they traded many of their stars in exchange for draft picks, young players and hope for the future.

Read More

Share:

Where the Rangers finished in the NHLPA Player Poll

Mar 10 | 10:57AM

Share:

Oct 31, 2017; New York, NY, USA; A general view of Madison Square Garden before a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports (Danny Wild)

Shortly after the trade deadline, Elliotte Friemdan wrote that the Penguins considered going after Ryan McDonagh but quickly realized "they couldn't make it work." (Sportsnet)

Friedman said that he believes the Capitals checked in on McDonagh, Toronto never really got "close" to a potential McDonagh trade but that the Rangers, Panthers and Wild were working on a potential three-team trade that would have put McDonagh with the Panthers. (Sportsnet)

Larry Brooks wrote last week that while Penguins GM Jim Rutherford was "persistent" in his quest to get McDonagh, the Penguins never put out an offer to the Rangers that was "worth consideration." (NY Post)